The Koch Brothers Exposed

“The Kochtopus” is what some call Charles and David Koch’s widespread, many-tentacled funding effort to shrink the federal government. Their efforts to suppress voters, dismantle public schools, and get rid of the Environmental Protection Agency and Social Security are systematically revealed in The Koch Brothers Exposed, a low-budget but sharply focused series by new media company Brave New Films.

The 13 short films illustrate how the lives of struggling Americans are worsened by the Kochs’ drive for profit and political power. One film, for example, connects an epidemic of cancer in a neighborhood of Crosset, Ark., to the channel of steaming, black goo floating into town from the Koch Industries-owned Georgia Pacific plant.

The Kochs lobby by giving millions to nonprofits that use the money—frequently via pseudo-grassroots organizations with innocuous names—to benefit the overarching Koch political agenda. Here’s how it works: According to one film in the series, Koch Industries gave $28.4 million to think tanks that advocated raising the Social Security retirement age. That’s not a popular policy with older voters, but the Kochs also gave more than $1 million to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a group working to pass laws that require voters to have state-issued photo identification. Critics say that would make voting more difficult for the elderly, students, and minorities.

Although the Kochs have doled out millions to politicians, think tanks, and anyone else who could help them undo American democracy over the past 10 years, they were relatively unknown until recently. Jane Mayer clarified their role as funders of the Tea Party in an August 2010 New Yorker article. They got more coverage during the Wisconsin protests when it became clear that Gov. Scott Walker was enacting the Koch/ALEC agenda.

Koch Brothers Exposed takes this reporting to a new level, bridging the gaps between investigative journalism, documentary, and activism. These short (two to 12 minute) films, designed for viral circulation through Facebook and other social media, are in an open-ended format that the filmmakers can update as necessary. Judging from the series so far, ongoing reports like these are an effective way of showing just how much influence the super-rich can have on our democracy.

Amy Hardie, 2009, 72 minutes.Filmmaker
Amy Hardie’s perfect life with her family in the Scottish countryside
is disturbed by dreams that seem prophetic—or are they? She
investigates, through psychotherapy, art, neuroscience, and shamanism. A
gorgeous autobiographical meditation on life, death, love, and dreams.

Producing in-depth, thoughtful journalism for a better world is expensive – but supporting us isn’t. If you value ad-free independent journalism,
consider subscribing to YES! today.